The Low Cost of Free.99 - April 2023
The Best Podcasts of April 2023
1,706 minutes.
28.43 hours.
The time it would take for a 2,015-mile drive from Chicago to Los Angeles.
In April, I listened to 1,706 minutes of podcasts. In March, I listened to 1,930 minutes. The tradition continues and I ranked the best three podcasts I listened to in April. I not only highlighted the best quotes, but on Twitter, I included the clips.
The Diary of a CEO - Chris Williamson
“If you had a friend and every single time you and your friend decided that you’re going to go out for dinner that friend either showed up two hours late or didn’t show up at all you would stop trusting that person. That is the relationship you have to have with yourself.”
Often, we hold ourselves to a lower standard, without realizing it, than we hold others to when we should have the same standards, if not higher, for ourselves. There is a saying, “The diet starts tomorrow.” It is often, a running joke. The irony is the diet never starts because it is continually pushed toward the future. Everyone is a victim of this.
The new workout program. The new habit of reading books, which I personally need to improve on. The new meditation habit. They all are scheduled to start tomorrow but ultimately, they never start. Imagine, if a friend, spouse, or co-worker, promised something grand, something new but they never delivered. You would slowly lose trust in them before it all evaporates as at a point, they are just blowing hot air.
We do this to ourselves. We lay out a goal for it never to be realized or even, never to be started. Hold yourself to the same standard you would hold your best friend if they didn’t show up when they promised to.
“Regrets aren’t a bug they’re a feature.”
“They are a natural byproduct of us always being curious of what could have been.”
Regrets are powerful. They are a result of an opportunity cost. A result of what was given up in favor of another option. We are led to believe that we should have no regrets but quite the contrary is true. They are an inevitable part of life that is a result of us being curious about what could have been, and what could have happened if we went the other route. You can’t escape them but you can learn from them. Regrets can teach you how you should operate moving forward, and what you would change if afforded the opportunity again. They provide a light to a better path moving forward. Reimagine regret as a positive force.
The Diary of a CEO - Robert Greene
“If you spend your 20s trying to learn skill in something that connects to you deeply, right, then things are going to happen to you by the time you reach 30.”
In college, I had a professor who preached on the ideals of using your 20s to figure out where you want life to take you. It was laid out quite simply:
20-30/35: Time to figure out what you qualitatively want to do
33/35: Figure out everything and don’t be afraid to pivot
35-40: Put in the hours and move up the company
40-50: Prime earning years
50-55: Figure out what you are going to do with the rest of your life
The 20s are spent figuring out what appeals to you, chasing your passions. The 20s are all about exploration and finding the deep connection to set you up later down the road. Delaying gratification and instead, spending time developing a skill where the dividends are paid at age 30 and beyond.
“To succeed at everything requires time and effort and boredom and tedium.”
I recently heard a quote from Bob Knight I loved, “The key is not the will to win. Everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.”
Everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to succeed. The difference between an Olympic champion and myself is not their ability to succeed in their athletic endeavor, it is their ability to place themselves in a position that allows them to succeed. Their will to prepare to win. Their will to continue to show up and prepare every day when the goal may not be realized until years later. Success is sexy but the path to get there is a long, tedious, monotonous climb. The willpower to understand the need to prepare, the need to position yourself so you can succeed is ultimately what is important. That is what it takes to truly succeed.
Acquired Sessions - David Senra (Founders Podcast)
“You observe bad behavior and then do the opposite.”
We always think that we should learn from good behavior. Bad behavior provides just the same benefit. It teaches what we don’t want to do. We operate through the lens of trying to seek out and emulate good behavior but value lies in seeing bad behavior and doing the opposite. It is a scare tactic that can provide the reality of life if you participated in such bad behavior. Sometimes, seeing the natural byproduct of bad behavior can be more motivating than watching good behavior.
“Troubles from time to time should be expected this is inescapable so why would you let it bother you.”
“Making mistakes is the privilege of the active, only those asleep make no mistakes.”
Mistakes are a natural, inescapable byproduct of life. Every day we wake up, we make mistakes. That is a privilege. Mistakes are a result of being active and the exploration of the unknown. Mistakes allow us to grow, to flourish in our lives. Every person, all eight billion breathing species, make mistakes. Mistakes shouldn’t bother you, mistakes should make you better.